In this article

UWP device apps

04/20/2017

2 minutes to read

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In this article

Purpose

Device manufacturers can create a UWP device app that serves as a companion to their device. UWP device apps have more capabilities than regular UWP apps and can perform privileged operations, such as firmware updates. Also, UWP device apps can start from AutoPlay (on more devices than other apps can), automatically install the first time a device is connected, and extend the printer and camera experiences built into Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

This section describes what UWP device apps are and how device manufacturers can create them. If you're new to UWP device apps, take a look at Getting started.

If you're looking for info about UWP mobile broadband apps, see Mobile Broadband.

In Windows 8.1, your UWP app can use a device background task to synchronize data on your peripheral device. If your app is associated with device metadata, that UWP device app can also use a device background agent to perform device updates, such as firmware updates.